Quran Universe
7:138

وَجَٰوَزۡنَا بِبَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ فَأَتَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ قَوۡمٖ يَعۡكُفُونَ عَلَىٰٓ أَصۡنَامٖ لَّهُمۡۚ قَالُواْ يَٰمُوسَى ٱجۡعَل لَّنَآ إِلَٰهٗا كَمَا لَهُمۡ ءَالِهَةٞۚ قَالَ إِنَّكُمۡ قَوۡمٞ تَجۡهَلُونَ

Wajawazna bibanee israeela albahra faataw AAala qawmin yaAAkufoona AAala asnamin lahum qaloo ya moosa ijAAal lana ilahan kama lahum alihatun qala innakum qawmun tajhaloona

And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They said, "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said, "Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly.

Word by word
  1. وَجَٰوَزۡنَاAnd We led across
  2. بِبَنِيٓ(the) Children
  3. إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ(of) Israel
  4. ٱلۡبَحۡرَthe sea
  5. فَأَتَوۡاْThen they came
  6. عَلَىٰupon
  7. قَوۡمٖa people
  8. يَعۡكُفُونَdevoted
  9. عَلَىٰٓto
  10. أَصۡنَامٖidols
  11. لَّهُمۡۚof theirs
  12. قَالُواْThey said
  13. يَٰمُوسَىO Musa
  14. ٱجۡعَلMake
  15. لَّنَآfor us
  16. إِلَٰهٗاa god
  17. كَمَاlike what
  18. لَهُمۡthey have
  19. ءَالِهَةٞۚgods
  20. قَالَHe said
  21. إِنَّكُمۡIndeed,you
  22. قَوۡمٞ(are) a people
  23. تَجۡهَلُونَignorant
Al-A'raf · 7:138Makkah

Just saved by a miracle, they asked for an idol.

Wanting what the neighbors have, right after the sea

On the other shore
crossed the seasaved by Allah's power
then see
idol worshippersdevoted to their idols
and ask
make us a godlike theirs
Musa's answer
be like themthey have one, so should we
you are ignorantof who Allah is

Having just crossed the sea, the Children of Israel passed a people devoted to idols, which Ibn Jarir said were shaped like cows. They asked Musa for a god like theirs. Ibn Kathir cites a hadith: on the way to Hunayn, some new Muslims asked the Prophet ﷺ for a sacred tree like the pagans had. He said: you said just what the people of Musa said.

Your friends all have a lucky charm, a horoscope app, a thing they touch before an exam. You start to want one too, just in case. The pull to copy what others hold sacred is old and strong.

If everyone around me has it, it cannot be that bad.

Copying others' devotion right after Allah has saved me is forgetting who saved me.

Try this

Notice one habit you picked up only because others do it. Ask if it pulls you toward Allah or away.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And We brought the Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea, and they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship). They said: "O Musa! Make for us a god as they have gods." He said: "Verily, you are an ignorant people. (138)[Musa added:] "Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in (idols' worship). And all that they are doing is in vain. (139)

The Children of Israel safely cross the Sea, but still held on to the Idea of Idol Worshipping

Allah mentions the words that the ignorant ones among the Children of Israel uttered to Musa after they crossed the sea and witnessed Allah's Ayat and great power.

فَأَتَوْا عَلَىٰ قَوْمٍ يَعْكُفُونَ عَلَىٰ أَصْنَامٍ لَّهُمْ

(And they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship).)

Some scholars of Tafsir said that the people mentioned here were from Canaan, or from the tribe of Lakhm. Ibn Jarir commented, "They were worshipping idols that they made in the shape of cows, and this influenced the Children of Israel later when they worshipped the calf. They said here,

يَا مُوسَى اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ

("O Musa! Make for us a god as they have gods." He said: "Verily, you are an ignorant people.")

Musa replied, you are ignorant of Allah's greatness and majesty and His purity from any partners or anything resembling Him.

إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ

("Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in) they will perish,

وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

("and all that they are doing is in vain.")

Commenting on this Ayah, Imam Abu Ja'far bin Jarir reported from Abu Waqid Al-Laythi that they (the Companions) went out from Makkah with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for (the battle of) Hunayn. Abu Waqid said, "Some of the disbelievers had a lote tree whose vicinity they used to remain in, and upon which they would hang their weapons on. That tree was called 'Dhat Al-Anwat'. So when we passed by a huge, green lote tree, we said, 'O Messenger of Allah! Appoint for us a Dhat Al-Anwat as they have.' He said,

قُلْتُمْ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ كَمَا قَالَ قَوْمُ مُوسَى لِمُوسَى:

(by He in Whose Hand is my soul! You said just as what the people of Musa said to him:

اجْعَل لَّنَا إِلَٰهًا كَمَا لَهُمْ آلِهَةٌ قَالَ إِنَّكُمْ قَوْمٌ تَجْهَلُونَ - إِنَّ هَٰؤُلَاءِ مُتَبَّرٌ مَّا هُمْ فِيهِ وَبَاطِلٌ مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

("Make for us a god as they have gods." He said: "Verily, you are an ignorant people. Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in, and all that they are doing is in vain."))"